Top Java books curated by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we have connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favouriteJava books – and here are the answers.

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Top Java books recommended by experts
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Fundamentals of Java

Understanding the concepts of Java starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Core Java Cay S. Horstmann

Core Java Cay S. Horstmann

With hundreds of realistic examples, Cay S. Horstmann reveals the most powerful and effective ways to get the job done. This book is written for readers with prior programming experience who are looking for in-depth coverage of the Java language and platform.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Test Driven: TDD for Java Developers

Test Driven: TDD for Java Developers

In test driven development, you first write an executable test of what your application code must do. Only then do you write the code itself and, with the test spurring you on, you improve your design.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Beginning Programming With Java for Dummies

Beginning Programming With Java for Dummies

This book includes practice questions and exercises to help reinforce your understanding of Java. Before you know it, you'll be using variables, values, and types, and you'll understand loops, objects, and classes. Start programming in Java and creating your own projects right away!

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Core Java

Core Java

For serious programmers, Core Java, Volume I―Fundamentals, Eleventh Edition, is the definitive guide to writing robust, maintainable code. Whether you’re using Java SE 9, 10, or 11, it will help you achieve a deep and practical understanding of the language and API, and its hundreds of realistic…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Thinking in Java

Thinking in Java

Thinking in Java (ISBN 978-0131872486) is a book about the Java programming language, written by Bruce Eckel and first published in 1998. Prentice Hall published the 4th edition of the work in 2006. The book represents a print version of Eckel's “Hands-on Java” seminar.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Just Spring Madhusudhan Konda

Just Spring Madhusudhan Konda

This example-driven book for Java developers delves into the framework's basic features, as well as complex concepts such as containers. You'll learn how Spring makes Java Messaging Service easier to work with, and how its support for Hibernate helps you work with data persistence and retrieval.…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Additional Java Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Java, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Java Concurrency in Practice

Java Concurrency in Practice

Java Concurrency in Practice provides you with the concepts and techniques needed to write safe and scalable Java programs for today's--and tomorrow's--systems." "This is the book you need if you're writing--or designing, or debugging, or maintaining, or contemplating--multithreaded Java program…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Java Performance: The Definitive Guide: Getting the Most Out of Your Code Scott Oaks

Java Performance: The Definitive Guide: Getting the Most Out of Your Code Scott Oaks

In this comprehensive guide, author and Java expert Scott Oaks takes the approach that anyone who works with Java should be equally adept at understanding how code behaves in the JVM, as well as the tunings likely to help its performance.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Head First Design Patterns

Head First Design Patterns

Using the latest research in cognitive science and learning theory to craft a multi-sensory learning experience, Head First Design Patterns uses a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Clean Code

Clean Code

Even bad code can function. But if code isn’t clean, it can bring a development organization to its knees. Every year, countless hours and significant resources are lost because of poorly written code. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Head First Design Patterns Elisabeth Robson

Head First Design Patterns Elisabeth Robson

This book shows you the patterns that matter, when to use them and why, how to apply them to your own designs, and the object-oriented design principles on which they're based. Join hundreds of thousands of developers who've improved their object-oriented design skills through Head First Design …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Java Performance Binu John

Java Performance Binu John

Java™ Performance covers the latest Oracle and third-party tools for monitoring and measuring performance on a wide variety of hardware architectures and operating systems. The authors present dozens of tips and tricks you’ll find nowhere else. You’ll learn how to construct experiments that iden…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

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